The Grey Fox
The Grey Fox | |
---|---|
United Artists Classics | |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 92 minutes |
Country | Canada |
Language | English |
Budget | $4.5 million |
Box office | $6 million |
The Grey Fox is a 1982 Canadian biographical Western film directed by Phillip Borsos and written by John Hunter. It is based on the true story of Bill Miner, an American stagecoach robber who staged his first Canadian train robbery on 10 September 1904. The film stars Richard Farnsworth as Miner. The cast also features Jackie Burroughs, Ken Pogue, Wayne Robson, Gary Reineke and Timothy Webber.
Plot
Stagecoach robber Bill Miner is caught and sent to prison for 33 years. He is finally released in 1901. He wanders around, a man out of place in the new century, until he sees one of the first films,
Cast
- Richard Farnsworth as Bill Miner / George Edwards
- Jackie Burroughs as Katherine 'Kate' Flynn
- Ken Pogue as Jack Budd
- Wayne Robson as Shorty (William) Dunn
- Timothy Webberas Sergeant Fernie
- Gary Reineke as Pinkerton Detective Seavy
- Sean Sullivan as Newspaper Editor
Production
According to Farnsworth, the "picture company" was the only one ever allowed to film at
The film was funded by selling 696 units for $5,000 each to investors, and it was edited in 1981 before a distributor was found. Phillip Borsos was paid $45,000 to direct the film.[2] The film was shot from 7 October to 28 November 1980, and had a budget of $3,480,000 (equivalent to $11,199,273 in 2021), but cost $4,500,000 (equivalent to $14,481,818 in 2021) to make.[3]
Release
The film was shown at the Taormina Film Fest in June 1982, and was released in Toronto on 16 December 1982.[4] It grossed over $6 million at the box office in its first year.[2]
Awards
The Grey Fox has been designated and preserved as a "masterwork" by the Audio-Visual Preservation Trust of Canada, a charitable non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the preservation of Canada’s audio-visual heritage.[5]
At the 4th Genie Awards in 1983, The Grey Fox was nominated for thirteen awards and won seven:
- Best Picture
- Best Director (Borsos)
- Best Foreign Actor (Farnsworth)
- Best Supporting Actress (Burroughs)
- Best Original Screenplay (Hunter)
- Best Art Direction (Bill Brodie)
- Best Musical Score (Michael Conway Baker)
Further recognition for Farnsworth included a
It has also been listed in the
Critical reaction
Roger Ebert praised the film as "a lovely adventure" and gave it 31⁄2 stars.[6] Rotten Tomatoes gave it a rare 100% fresh rating, based on twenty-nine reviews. The Critics Consensus reads: "The Grey Fox takes liberties with the real-life history that inspired it, but director Philip Borsos' aim is true -- as is Richard Farnsworth's work in the title role."[7]
Restoration and re-release
The film underwent a 4K restoration and was re-released to theatres In April 2020.[8] It also saw its first official release to DVD and Blu-Ray, which included a commentary by filmmaker Alex Cox, interview with producer Peter O'Brian, and a featurette about the restoration.[9]
References
- ^ ISBN 9781137541925. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
- ^ a b Melnyk 2004, p. 123.
- ^ Turner 1987, p. 346-347.
- ^ Turner 1987, p. 347.
- ^ "Masterworks: The Grey Fox (1983)". avtrust.ca. 10 September 2023.
- ^ "The Grey Fox". rogerebert.suntimes.com. 1 January 1982. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2007.
- ^ "The Grey Fox (1983)". rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 29 November 2007.
- ^ "Restored Classic Western The Grey Fox Gallops to the aid of Indie Theatres Nationwide". original-cin.ca. 20 April 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
- ^ "The Grey Fox (Special Edition) (Blu-Ray) (DVD)". kinolorber.com. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
Works cited
- Turner, D. John, ed. (1987). Canadian Feature Film Index: 1913-1985. ISBN 0660533642.
- ISBN 080203568X.
External links
- The Grey Fox at IMDb
- The Grey Fox at AllMovie
- The Grey Fox at Box Office Mojo